Down Once More
by Out-Tonight-07
Summary: This is the continuing of the story of the Phantom of the Opera after the movie leaves off. Definitely an EC. Raoul is a gay fop.
1. Dungeons of Black Despair

**A/N- Ithelps if you have seen the Phantom of the Opera movie enough to know the whole plotline until the end. I do not own any of the characters of the Phantom of the Opera. The novel is the intellectual property of Gaston LeRoux, and the movie and musical is the workings of Andrew Lloyd Webber.**

_Down once more  
to the dungeons  
of my black despair!  
Down we plunge  
to the prison  
of my mind!  
Down that path  
into darkness  
deep as hell!_

The masked man was singing furiously to a young woman whom he was dragging down the stairs.

"Erik! I love you!"

_Track down this murderer_

_He must be found!_

"It's too late for pity, Christine!"

_Why, you ask,  
was I bound and chained  
in this cold and dismal place?  
Not for any  
mortal sin, but the  
wickedness of  
my abhorrent face!_

"Erik! I love you! I want you more than anything in the world! Take me as your wife, I beg of you!"

_God give me courage to show you,_

_You are not alone!_

At this, Christine grabs the man in her arms and begins to kiss him tenderly on the lips. As she draws back from him, the man grabs her furiously.

"My God Christine, LOOK AT MY FACE."

_This face_

_Which earned_

_A mother's fear and loathing._

"I know you, Erik. And now, I see only you. My husband."

At this, Christine slips the engagement ring on her finger.

"My wife." said Erik dreamily.


	2. Jugs and the Fop

**We last left Christine and the Phantom having their little "episode" in the middle of a lake under the Opera House, and we join our friend Raoul who is paddling a boat trying to find them.**

"CHRISTINE!"

_Where in the world __Have you been hiding?_

Raoul had brought the ballet mistress' daughter along in hopes that two less than intelligent people would be able to find a man and a woman singing at the top of their lungs in a well lit, echo-y basement.

Raoul turned to look at his companion to find that she had become stiff, as if Meg has heard a noise.

"_Erik, oh, OH, please, ERIK."_

"_Christine .. Christine. OH CHRISTINE."_

"It sounds as if .. this man is.. Meg winces TORTURING Christine!" she said to him.

"We must find them! Christine! I'm coming to save you!"

This guy is so brilliant that he decided to scream this at the top of his lungs in a echo-y basement. Don't say I didn't warn you, fop.

"HEY! I HEARD THAT!"

Right then.

"Meg! We have to find Christine and save her from this deranged lunatic!"

"He is quite sexy, actually." She replied.

**A/N- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

"Who's laughing?"

Raoul is confused. What a surprise.

"I HEARD THAT TOO!"

I am the narrarator. I am sitting here at home in a comfy chair laughing at your predicament. By the way, your fiancée is making out with that "sexy deranged lunatic".

"I knew it! Torture by 1st base!"

It was Meg's turn to be confused.

"Even _I_ haven't heard of that one!"

Raoul mumbled something along the lines of "slut", and then decided he knew better if he wanted help paddling the boat.

"Grab an oar and make yourself useful, jugs!"

I guess he really IS that stupid, ladies and gentlemen.


	3. Rude Awakening

We join Christine and Erik again the next morning. He is sitting in front of a large organ, and she is waking up from a large, pheasant-shaped bed.

"Good morning, sweetheart.", said Erik, taking a break from playing.

Sweetheart? Christine wondered. She had never seen this side of the Phantom of the Opera.

"MMM, good morning Erik. I'm still quite tired. Your music woke me up."

"I'm sorry, Christine. Go back to bed, I have a surprise planned tonight that you should be well-rested for."

"The music was nice, actually", Christine replied, "As for the surprise, I have my suspicions."

They smiled at each other as if there really was no surprise anymore.

"Go back to bed", said Erik.

As for our less intelligent friends, (who would probably have thought Erik's surprise was a tea party), Meg and Raoul, had fallen asleep in the boat outside the Phantom's lair. We find them waking up, confused (who would have thought?).

"HELLOOOOOOOOOO", Raoul hears his voice echo in the catacombs.

"IS ANYONE HERE?" he said again.

"Mmmmm? What? What?" Meg woke from Raoul's screaming.

**A/N- Helen, I just HAD to do it.**

"I'm sorry Meg, did I wake you up?"

She thought for a moment, "Maybe it was the rocking of the boat. Have we been here all night?"

"Yes, and I still haven't found them. Around 1 in the morning, I suppose it was, the voices stopped. Maybe they went to sleep?" replied Raoul.

"At any rate, we should keep going if we ever want to rescue Christine! I'll grab a paddle. Here you go Raoul." Meg hands him a paddle.

The two start making their way through the rivers in the Phantom's boat. At last, Raoul recognizes the gate which marked the entrance to the Opera Ghost's lair. Completely filled by candles, surprisingly lit for so early in the morning, the caves were bright, yet with casted shadows.

Erik pauses to give his fingers a break from the organ. He was used to playing for long hours, but Don Juan Triumphant was especially difficult. Through the silence, he recognized a voice. Then a second.

Erik thought in his head, "That accursed fop and Giry's girl have come to find me? I shall play their game, when Christine wakes up, she will set her friend and lover straight. I, Erik, the Opera Ghost, Phantom of the Opera, am no monster."

Christine stirred in her bed. "Erik?"

_My dear, I think we have a guest! (Or two)_

"Sir! Mademoiselle! Do come in!" booms the unmistakable voice of OG.

Christine sees the familiar faces as they come in the candlelight. "Meg! Oh, I'm so glad to see you! I've been missing the ballet, and singing, your mother, everyone! Do come sit with me!" At this she acknowledges Raoul. "YOU."

"Is that all you have to say to your fiancée?" he replied, astonished.

"Come over here Raoul, look at my finger."

He sees the ring on Christine's hand, and at first is overjoyed that she accepted him as her husband. Then Raoul realizes "Not me, it's that Phantom. She's thrown her life away for a deformed man who lives in a cave."

He has lost her. No turning back. Christine has fallen under the angel's spell and there was no breaking it. Though, what's a good word to use, oh fine, STUPID, at times, Raoul had been raised well enough to respect the wishes of a lady.

"Christine, I respect your decision."

That's the last thing he ever said to her. Raoul turned to leave in the boat, though Meg wished to stay, she knew better. There was only one boat, and she did live right above Christine and Erik. She would come back later.

Christine held Erik's hand as she watched Raoul and Meg float away.

"I don't regret it." She said to her husband simply.


	4. One Love, One Lifetime

Yesterday, Christine and Erik watched as they were relieved of Raoul forever. Erik decided it was time for his big surprise in honor of the occasion.

"Christine, are you ready?"

"Ready for what, dear?" she replied.

"My big surprise." He said tauntingly.

"That surprise would be …" Christine was getting impatient to know if tonight would be the night.

"We're going rat hunting! I've had a problem with them crawling around the mirrors and knocking over candlesticks." Erik seemed to want Christine to admit what she wanted from him.

"OH STOP ERIK! I know what you want to do. And I've thought about it for a long time now. I'm ready." Christine was very serious, and Erik noticed that she had put a lot of thought into their future, so he stopped messing around with her.

"Well Christine. I believe that it doesn't start out by sitting around and talking like diplomats with the lights on.", said Erik, not wanting to admit that he had no experience in this field.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek, then the neck. Filled with passion, he picked Christine right off the ground and set her on the bed.

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Christine woke up first, tired, sweaty, and in pain. She sat up and looked over at Erik, laying still. "I wonder if he's really awake", she thought. Christine tapped her husband on the shoulder. "Erik?"

"More, let's do it again." Erik faked sleep-talking.

"Oh stop it you, we're married, lots of opportunity to come." Christine smiled. She had never smiled this way around Raoul.

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Meg woke early as she normally did. The ballet dormitories were especially cold this winter. She got up to put on her extra nightgown and socks when she thought of Christine. She missed her friend, though Meg was in no hurry to go down into the catacombs by herself. She dressed, and then went back to sleep, thoughts stirring in her head.

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Later that afternoon, Christine was still in bed, very sore. She was still in a state of shock about what had happened last night. Never had Christine imagined herself, well .. doing it. And with the Angel of Music too. The Phantom of the Opera.

What was she saying? He was her husband! Or was he .. ? It had been very informal. Erik hadn't even proposed. Christine had always dreamed of a big romantic wedding with a flowing white gown as a girl. She could see it now.

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"MEGAN ANTOINETTE GIRY! You not earn a place in my _corps de ballet_ by sleeping halfway into the afternoon! Get up this instant and into your rehearsal clothes! Rehearsals for Don Giovanni started a quarter of an hour ago!" At this Madame Giry left to return to her rehearsals.

Meg sat on her bed, startled from her mother waking her up so suddenly. The rumors were true. For days the ballet rats had talked about the next opera, Don Giovanni. It was based on the legend Don Juan.

(A/N- This opera is real and I own neither Don Giovanni nor Don Juan. Don Giovanni belongs to Mozart, and Don Juan is a Spanish legend very much like the Phantom's opera Don Juan Triumphant. For fictional purposes, I am crediting the Phantom of the Opera as the creator on Don Juan, the legend, and the opera mentioned in the play and movie.)

Meg wondered what the Phantom of the Opera would do when he found out that their newest production was plagiarism of his only once-performed Don Juan Triumphant. Don Giovanni could only be Piangi. Donna Anna, Christine, and Donna Elvira, Carlotta. Meg would once again be dancing in the background. There was no doubt that Meg loved to dance, and wouldn't trade her role in the _corps _for anything. It's just that no one but Christine knew that Meg could actually sing, not even her mother.

Meg realized that she had wasted even more time thinking, and her mother would be even MORE extremely furious with her by now, so she quickly put on her best pair of pink tights and a black leotard. As she ran out the door, Meg remembered how her mother scorned upon "she who did not wear her brand new skirt to dance ballet", and grabbed the black tule and her rehearsal toe shoes.

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Meg quietly slipped into rehearsal hoping that she wouldn't be noted as late. The girls were already in their shoes and warmed up. She sat down on the floor, quickly and expertly tied the ribbons on her toe shoes, and went to the end of the front _barre_, her normal spot.

As Meg was doing the normal tendu exercise, she thought about how long it had taken her to earn her place in the ballet. Being the mistress' daughter, Meg had started dancing with the girls at a young age. She had to work harder than everyone else to earn her place at the front. Meg was thinking so hard about other things that she completely forgot to start the _en quois_. This of course was followed by a scold from her mother for not paying attention.

When tendus were finished and all the girls moved towards the middle of the floor, there was an announcement made by Monsieur Reyer.

"Tonight at quarter after 7 o'clock we will be holding auditions for the roles Don Giovanni, Donna Anna, and Donna Elvira in our upcoming production. We discourage those without experience from auditioning. The casting lists will be announced at half past nine this evening. Good luck to those of you who choose to audition. Please be prepared to sing the piece of your choice and read off the script for the production."

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"Erik, I have to ask you something very serious. Come and sit with me." Christine had been thinking all afternoon.

"I want to talk to you about something too, but if it's about getting new curtains, there are no windows in here." He replied playfully.

"Oh, stop Erik, I'm really, really serious about this." Christine took a deep breath and told him everything. " … so even thought I consider you my husband, we're not officially married, or even engaged."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Christine." At this, Erik reached in his coat and pulled out a red velvet box. "Christine Daae, will you marry me?"

She started crying. "Of course." Erik opened to box to reveal a gorgeous ring.

He had obviously made it especially for Christine, it fit like a glove. The silver band had musical notes etched into it, with a three-dimensional red rose in the center. On the inside of the ring were the words 'One love, One lifetime'.

"Now I'll just have to get get used to, instead of Christine Daae, being called Christine..."

Erik thought of what Christine had said, and emotions starting from his early childhood welled up inside of him. He had never known his last name. The strong man he was, Erik burst into tears, knowing exactly why Christine couldn't finish her sentence.


	5. Reflections of a Dancer

"Erik! Wait! I still love you, trust me, nothing can ever change that." Christine was out of breath from chasing after Erik.

The Phantom noted his ring on her finger. He turned away from Christine hoping that he could hide his flowing tears. Erik had never shared the fact that he had no last name with anyone but Madame Giry, and he knew that Christine would have to know the whole story.

"Christine, dear, I have lived a long and difficult life. I barely even knew my parents. My father left my mother before I was born, and then my mother sent me away when I was 6.

"Erik, you're not so alone. Both of my parents died before I was 7, and I never met my mother."

Erik remembered Christine's angelic song.

_God give me courage to show you_

_You are not alone!_

Just as she had so many times before, Christine grasped her husband in a warm embrace, kissing him tenderly. Only this time, she didn't stop and pull away. Both of the young lovers felt each other's passion.

The kisses continued. Erik took Christine in his arms; as if afraid she would run away. He kissed her warm, sweet lips, moving down her neck to her collarbone, caressing each area gently. Christine cried out with pleasure, and returned the favor with her own kisses. She removed his mask, and he once again swept her up and set Christine on the bed.

Erik was lying on top of Christine, both sweating and breathing heavily.

"Take me Erik, take me now" She begged of him.

As if he weren't so sure of himself anymore, Erik pauses, thinking. He remembered the last night he had hurt Christine so. But it always hurts your fist time ..

Concerned with Christine's safety and well-being, he wanted his wife as much as Christine wanted him.

"Please, take me." She said one final time.

Then he did, and they clung to each other, as to never let anyone separate them.

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Meg was arguing with herself once again.

"Should I audition, shouldn't I? What will they say? What if I don't get the part?"

"Oh just do it, she told herself."

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Later that evening, as Meg was walking back to the dormitories after her audition, she bumped into three or four of the younger ballet rats whispering amongst themselves.

"Oh, I'm sorry, how clumsy of me." Meg politely apologized.

A young blonde whispered to her friend. "She's the one, that girl."

"Excuse me?" Meg hade overheard.

"Do you think you're too good for your own mother's _corps_? Are you too great to be in our presence anymore?" Another younger girl spoke to Meg in an accusatory tone.

"Wh.." Meg stopped as the group of girls walked away from her, noses high.

She thought to herself, "Snottish babies, their noses are so high I hope they don't drown in the rain. All I did was AUDITION!"

Meg didn't bother to undress from the clothes she wore to the audition, knowing she would have to return shortly to find out how well she had done. This could change my whole career at the opera. More respect, a higher position. She "tsk"ed, remembering the girls in the hall.

"Or people will treat me like that."

She was glad her mother was not running the auditions. To be fair, Madame Giry would have rejected Meg as to not how favoritism. This time she really had a chance.

Meg plopped back on her bed, knowing that she couldn't afford to fall asleep and miss the cast listing. She tried to fight sleep and ignore all the thoughts once again, stirring in her head, but she was losing.

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"Christine, it's the MIDDLE OF THE DAY." Said Erik, lying next to her in tangled sheets.

"I know, but it was really nice." Christine couldn't believe herself. Twice in two days? Last week she had been a virgin.

"Yeah. It hurts me so to have to give you back." Christine was confused by what Erik had just said to her.

"Give you back?" she thought. What does he mean? I miss the opera, and Meg, and Madame, but I love Erik more than anything.

"Don Giovanni's auditions were today. I sent a letter to the Giry woman to cast you as Donna Anna. They stole my play. I'll make sure that I'm credited, no doubt about it, you see. This is my opera house, and I will command how it is to be run."

Christine couldn't help but think that saving her a spot without auditioning was unfair, but she WAS their best singer, and no one had mentioned the auditions. Or the play .. the phantom's? She was confused.

_Come_

_We must return_

_Those two fools who run my theater will be missing you._

"NO! DON'T MAKE ME, ERIK!" Christine knew she must have sounded like a spoiled child being dragged out of a candy store.

She dug her heels in the ground, and refused to leave, when she stopped, stood up straight, and followed Erik into the boat, giving in. As Erik helped Christine into the boat, she made sure that her skirts lifted to reveal her thigh. Erik looked away, as if Christine were being extremely immature. She was puzzled by her husband's reaction. She sat down for the boat ride across the lake.

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Meg was dreaming of the night of the performance, it was her all alone on the stage, singing the part of Donna Elvira. A caped man and a woman in stage costume were walking onstage, singing their parts of the music, holding hands. A white glimmer shone one the man's face as he turned, and then quickly readjusted his cape.

"Meg … Meg?" Who was calling her?

"MEG! YOU'VE GOT TO WAKE UP!" She turned over in her bed, hoping that she had not heard the voice. When Meg started to be violently shaken by the shoulder, she opened her eyes.

"Hélène? What are you doing .. THE CASTING!" Meg jumped out of bed and ran out the door.

".. exactly .." Hélène said, quietly as she followed after Meg.

Meg rounded the corner, and ran for the metal staircase. Jumping down with ease, she ran to the ballet room, not even having to think of where she was going. When she got there, it was empty. Did I miss it?

"Hélène!" she cried, with no response.

The stage? Maybe, it was a possibility.

She ran faster. When Meg arrived in the wings of the stage, she was relieved to find that people were still arriving, and she casually walked on. Meg looked around, hoping to find someone to talk to, and then it hit her.

Where was Christine? How long had it been since Meg had seen her? She thought about visiting her before, but it hadn't really seemed like a good idea.

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The announcing of parts had passed quickly. Meg had gotten one of the leads, much to her surprise and relief, and the other went to Christine.

Oddly enough, Christine hadn't come to auditions. No one had seen her. She had been given the part because everyone knew she could sing, but was Christine even still here? Had she run away? What had the phantom done to her?

It was decided, Meg would visit tonight with the news, and to check on Christine.

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Down in the catacombs, Christine was pacing. Erik had not allowed her to leave his home since last, and she was getting a severe case of cabin fever. She didn't have a clock and hadn't know what time of day it was in what felt like ages.

Christine say down on the piano bench. She had never played a piano before. She had never asked Erik about his. Christine wasn't really sure of whether the phantom would approve of a girl playing his precious organ.

She fingered the ivory keys. They felt cold and smooth under her fingers. Christine pressed down one of the keys, and then another, and then another.

Soon she was playing beautiful music. It was as if this natural talent for playing came as easily as her singing. Christine got so caught up in the music that she had not heard someone coming up from behind her.

Whoever it was tapped her on the shoulder.

"Christine"


End file.
